The present invention relates generally to a furnace for use in a manufactured home. In particular, the present invention relates to a panel and filter assembly for such furnaces.
In site-built residential homes, the furnace typically delivers conditioned air to the home by means of ductwork contained within the walls, floor, basement, and/or attic of the home. The air returns to the furnace by means of a return air ductwork. The furnace then conditions the air and delivers it back to the home. In these systems air filtration generally occurs at some point in the return air ductwork.
In contrast, manufactured homes typically do not contain return air ductwork. Instead, the air returns to the furnace by means of the interior of the home. Typically, the furnace is installed in a closet or utility room in such a way that the front panel of the furnace is exposed. This front panel usually contains a plurality of louvers. The return air enters the furnace through these louvers. The furnace conditions the air and then delivers it back to the home.
Generally, these furnaces contain filters located behind this louvered front panel. Typically, these furnaces use clips, brackets, or wire retainers to hold the filters in place behind the front panel. These fasteners often make it difficult for the homeowner to replace the filters. The homeowner must remove the clips, brackets or retainers, remove the old filter, insert a new filter. and then reinstall the clips, brackets, or retainers. This requires a certain amount of mechanical ability. As a result, many homeowners either never replace their filters or remove their filters and never install new ones. This results in diminished furnace performance. It also results in the circulation of dirtier air throughout the home.
In addition, many manufactured home furnaces use permanent filters as opposed to disposable air filters. Often, commonly available disposal filters will not fit the space behind the front panel of the furnace. Permanent filters have many drawbacks. First, replacements are difficult to find because usually they are specially made to fit the furnace. Second, they require the homeowner to remove and clean the filter. As already stated, removing the filter alone can be problematic. In practice, very few homeowners clean these filters. In many cases after removing the filter, the homeowner either never replaces the filter or replaces it with a filter that does not fit. In either case this results in both reduced performance and cleanliness.
The present invention is a panel and filter assembly for a manufactured home furnace. It includes at least one filter, a panel, a top and bottom flange on the panel, and at least two brackets. The top and bottom flanges are sized to provide a support to hold the filter vertically in position when the filter is installed. At least one bracket is fixed to each respective side of the panel. Each bracket has a generally z-shaped configuration such that the bracket prevents the filter from moving outwardly away from the panel or horizontally when the filter is installed. The brackets and flanges cooperate to retain at least one filter behind said panel and are spaced such that the filter can be readily installed or removed without adjusting the brackets or flanges.
In another embodiment, the panel and filter assembly includes a plurality of brackets on one side of the panel and a plurality of brackets on the opposite side of the panel.
In a further embodiment, the panel and filter assembly includes a single elongated bracket on each respective side of the panel. The brackets are spaced from the flanges to permit the filter to be bent slightly and inserted or removed from the panel.
In another embodiment, the panel and filter assembly includes at least two filters, at least two panels, a top and bottom flange on each panel, and at least two brackets on each panel. The top and bottom flange on each panel are sized to provide a support to hold one filter vertically in position behind each panel, when the filter is installed. At least one bracket is fixed to each respective side of each panel. Each bracket has a generally z-shaped configuration such that the bracket prevents the filters from moving outwardly away from the panel or horizontally when the filter is installed. The brackets and flanges cooperate to retain one filter behind each panel and being spaced such that the filter can be readily installed or removed without adjusting the brackets or flanges.
In a further embodiment, the front panel assembly comprises a single elongated bracket on each respective side of each panel, the brackets being spaced from the flanges to permit the filter to be bent slightly and inserted or removed from the panel.
In another embodiment, the front panel assembly comprises two panels and two filters. In a further embodiment, the panels are manufactured from an injection molding process.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention, as claimed.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate several embodiments of the invention and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.